Guo Wei, Chen Lijuan, Perez Cristina
Department of Social Work and Social Policy, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University , Nanjing , Jiangsu Province , P. R. China.
The Centre for Asia-Pacific Development Studies, Nanjing University , Nanjing , Jiangsu Province , P. R. China.
J Gerontol Soc Work. 2019 Oct;62(7):762-775. doi: 10.1080/01634372.2019.1676860. Epub 2019 Oct 9.
There is a deficiency in empirical knowledge on the physical and mental health of lower-income older people with weak family support in western rural China. To address this research gap, this article uses the data from to analyze the disadvantaged situation of older people in western rural China through a regional comparative analysis. Our sample consisted of 7,138 older adults aged 60 or older in eastern and western, rural and urban China. We find that lower personal income is significantly associated with poor physical and mental health. Economic support from families means more for older people when they have a disability related to activities of daily living in western rural China. Fostering stronger family support networks might improve the mental health status of older people in western rural China. Our study suggests a broader scope for the state to play a greater role in economic empowerment and in the development of policies to effectively meet the present and future needs of older people in western rural China or other countries with an imbalance in the distribution of the aging population and welfare resources.
在中国西部农村，家庭支持薄弱的低收入老年人的身心健康方面的实证知识存在不足。为了填补这一研究空白，本文利用[具体数据来源]的数据，通过区域比较分析来剖析中国西部农村老年人的弱势状况。我们的样本包括中国东部和西部、农村和城市地区的7138名60岁及以上的老年人。我们发现，个人收入较低与身心健康状况不佳显著相关。在中国西部农村，当老年人存在与日常生活活动相关的残疾时，家庭的经济支持对他们来说意义更大。建立更强大的家庭支持网络可能会改善中国西部农村老年人的心理健康状况。我们的研究表明，国家在经济赋权以及制定政策以有效满足中国西部农村老年人或其他老年人口与福利资源分配不均衡国家的老年人当前和未来需求方面，有更广阔的发挥更大作用的空间。
